Bruce Sacked at last (now official)

[robleflaneur]

I have been for some time totally disillusioned by his lack of tactical awareness,the type of football that his team produces and the lack of development of players,especially younger ones.I had respect for him as a person .However,that has gone with his recent outpourings.
The belittling comments about the younger players at Yeovil.Whereas,it wss a hard luck story against a 10 man Ipswich who fought for their lives.And then it's the revisionism of last year,where he had to apply a sticking plaster to the problems and beg,steal and borrow to get players.
Total self serving drivel.

[paul_e]

The sticking plaster thing is utter bullshit and should be met with contempt.  He can revise things as much as he wants but he signed a former England captain after chasing him for weeks, he signed a guy who's played for him at 2 previous clubs, he signed a winger who would've been the envy of almost everyone in the division and he signed a central midfielder that he didn't really need but he wanted for some extra experience. He then added to that by grabbing a guy who was a good shout to be the league's top scorer for the 2nd half of the season.  In terms of young players he got his first choice goalie, a player he's picked up again for this year and a midfielder who he gave plenty of game time to, ahead of the clubs own youth players and who I expect he'd have wanted back if Grealish had gone there.

As always, nothing is his fault, there's always an excuse but he's learned to make them sound plausible enough that people lap it up.

[Newby]

Let's hope that the new CEO isn't a fool or part of an old boys network.

[The_ads]

The sticking plaster thing is utter bullshit and should be met with contempt.  He can revise things as much as he wants but he signed a former England captain after chasing him for weeks, he signed a guy who's played for him at 2 previous clubs, he signed a winger who would've been the envy of almost everyone in the division and he signed a central midfielder that he didn't really need but he wanted for some extra experience. He then added to that by grabbing a guy who was a good shout to be the league's top scorer for the 2nd half of the season.  In terms of young players he got his first choice goalie, a player he's picked up again for this year and a midfielder who he gave plenty of game time to, ahead of the clubs own youth players and who I expect he'd have wanted back if Grealish had gone there.

As always, nothing is his fault, there's always an excuse but he's learned to make them sound plausible enough that people lap it up.

This. Every single word of it

[GarTomas]

Points wise we’re better off than last year, and although I think we will get 3/4 points from the next two games for me it’s the level of performance and style that is worrying.

There isn’t a style it continues to be reliant on a bit of quality to make the difference and over the course of 46 games I don’t think that cuts it for automatic promotion and then you’re down to the lottery of the play offs.

Performance team wise hasn’t been great but it’s difficult to achieve when there isn’t a style. Player wise too often most players end up with a 5/6 out of 10 but there are one or two who score 7/8/9 which makes the difference in that game. But again over a season it’s more chance than anything.

[The Edge]

I think we have got to stick with Bruce. He will heroically keep us up for a third year running.

[paul_e]

Points wise we’re better off than last year, and although I think we will get 3/4 points from the next two games for me it’s the level of performance and style that is worrying.

There isn’t a style it continues to be reliant on a bit of quality to make the difference and over the course of 46 games I don’t think that cuts it for automatic promotion and then you’re down to the lottery of the play offs.

Performance team wise hasn’t been great but it’s difficult to achieve when there isn’t a style. Player wise too often most players end up with a 5/6 out of 10 but there are one or two who score 7/8/9 which makes the difference in that game. But again over a season it’s more chance than anything.

The bottom bit sums Bruce up perfectly and is what he's always done, he sets up to spoil, take the pace and intent out of the game and when it's gone flat and nothing much is happening for either team he hopes for a moment of brilliance. That's why players like Kodjia, Grealish and Snodgrass have done well, they create things from nothing, whereas Hogan, for example, has struggled because he needs to be part of an attacking unit.  It also means that the team form reflects that of the 1-2 players who are making things tick. Last season, for example, Snodgrass fell off a cliff in the last month and our form went with him, at just the worst time.

[RussellC]

What worried me most in his post-match comments from the weekend was his criticism of the players "not moving the ball quickly enough".  Whilst I completely agree with him, this suggests more a lack of work on the training-ground than it does players just not being capable of doing it. it's also a criticism that could be thrown at all Villa performances since he's been in charge.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think I would have much more sympathy for Bruce had he not started half the team out of position in the last couple of games.

I think I would have much more sympathy for Bruce were he the manager of another club.

[Boz]

What worried me most in his post-match comments from the weekend was his criticism of the players "not moving the ball quickly enough".  Whilst I completely agree with him, this suggests more a lack of work on the training-ground than it does players just not being capable of doing it. it's also a criticism that could be thrown at all Villa performances since he's been in charge.

Agreed, whose fault is it if the players aren't moving the ball fast enough, he's on the touchline, why isn't he getting the message to those on the pitch and doing something about it in training.

He's on borrowed time IMO, no matter we're unbeaten, we look poor.

UTV

[mr underhill]

I think you're right - he's got ten games imo and if we're not in the mix by then he's gone. Two years of there or thereabouts is enough.

[OCD]

Winning when you're not playing well is meant to be a good thing. If we can the loan signings in and get everyone bedded in whilst still keeping ourselves in the picture then we've started better than our last 2 previous attempts at promotion. Hopefully things will settle down a bit and we can get ourselves together.

[paul_e]

I think you're right - he's got ten games imo and if we're not in the mix by then he's gone. Two One years of there or thereabouts is enough.

Fixed

[paul_e]

Winning when you're not playing well is meant to be a good thing. If we can the loan signings in and get everyone bedded in whilst still keeping ourselves in the picture then we've started better than our last 2 previous attempts at promotion. Hopefully things will settle down a bit and we can get ourselves together.

Only if the 'not playing well' is a temporary blip.  We're nearly up to 100 games with him as manager and we've played well in about 10 of them.

[Sexual Ealing]

Winning when you're not playing well is meant to be a good thing. If we can the loan signings in and get everyone bedded in whilst still keeping ourselves in the picture then we've started better than our last 2 previous attempts at promotion. Hopefully things will settle down a bit and we can get ourselves together.

Only if the 'not playing well' is a temporary blip.  We're nearly up to 100 games with him as manager and we've played well in about 10 of them.

To be fair to Bruce, 100 only equates to 40 by his arithmetic.